Cities are complex organisms constituted by a diverse range of spatial and social conditions. Theirspecific urban forms generate different urban spaces that provide the scenarios for a great variety ofhuman activities.The famous plan of Rome by Nolli (1748) illustrates the urban structure of the city using a figuregroundrepresentation which shows the symbiotic relationship of buildings and public spaces.Squares, streets and parks constitute crucial elements for the development of the public life, howeverurban transformation initiatives in the 1990s and even earlier, generated new types of public spacesfocused on the consumption culture.Nowadays shopping centres, hotel lobbies, and rooftop terraces are becoming the collective spaces ofthe contemporary society. This article aims to open a reflection on the condition of the public space inthe city, especially in the Asian context, where the rapid change of the urban structure is alsotransforming the urban and social dimension of public spaces.Three urban design projects will be described as experimental processes to transform generic urbanspaces in meaningful places in order to facilitate social interaction and civic engagement.